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Saturday, September 17, 2005
Government rejects protest v. US for 'spying'
MANILA -- THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) junked Friday calls of some members of Congress for the Philippines to file a diplomatic protest against the US for allegedly spying on government affairs.
DFA spokesman Gilbert Asuque said there is no need at this point to file any protest with the US because the Federal Bureau of Investigation's documentation of the political crisis in the country is considered "research".
"At the moment, the DFA is closely monitoring the progress of the case against (former national police deputy director) Michael Ray Aquino until the case is heard in court. We still have to wait for the evidence that will be presented," Asuque said.
Aquino, a former police officer who had been tagged in the Kuratong Baleleng rubout case and the murder of PR practitioner Bubby Dacer and his driver Edwin Corbito, was arrested by FBI agents in New York for conspiracy and espionage, together with a Filipino-American FBI analyst Leandro Aragoncillo.
The FBI said Aquino has been receiving some classified information downloaded by Aragoncillo from FBI files, including 37 top-secret documents relating to the political situation in the Philippines.
Aside from Aquino, Aragoncillo also passed on information to a former high-level national public official, and two incumbent high-level public officials. The identities of the individuals would be known once the US unseals the case on September 21.
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Reynaldo Wycoco said the US Government has already included the three public officials in the indictment sheet but has retained the anonymity of the public officials until the opening of the indictment case.
"I understand they (top ranking officials) were among those charged. There is evidence against them already and they're gathering more information to strengthen the case," Wycoco said.
The NBI said the three unnamed officials were charged with conspiracy charges similar to those filed against Aquino and Aragoncillo. Under US laws, a conspiracy case carries a sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
Earlier, Senators Panfilo Lacson and Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Paranaque Representative Roilo Golez admitted to having received emails from Aquino and Aragoncillo but that these were the same information on the local political scene that already came out in newspapers. (ECV/Sunnex)
(September 17, 2005 issue)
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